Tales from the Cincinnati Bearcats Locker Room Read online

  For

  my wife, my partner, my co-captain Valerie

  In memory of my brother Norty (1947-2003)

  Copyright © 2004, 2014 by Michael Perry

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Sports Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  Cover design by Tom Lau

  Cover photo credit AP

  ISBN: 978-1-61321-715-3

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61321-741-2

  Printed in the United States of America

  CONTENTS

  Foreword

  Acknowledgments

  CHAPTER 1

  The Hall of Famers

  CHAPTER 2

  Five Unforgettable Games

  CHAPTER 3

  John Wiethe Era (1946-1952)

  CHAPTER 4

  George Smith Era (1952-1960)

  CHAPTER 5

  Ed Jucker Era (1960-1965)

  CHAPTER 6

  Tay Baker Era (1965-1972)

  CHAPTER 7

  Gale Catlett Era (1972-1978)

  CHAPTER 8

  Ed Badger Era (1978-1983)

  CHAPTER 9

  Tony Yates Era (1983-1989)

  CHAPTER 10

  Bob Huggins Era (1989-2005)

  CHAPTER 11

  Andy Kennedy Era (2005-06)

  CHAPTER 12

  Mick Cronin Era (2006-present)

  FOREWORD

  Soon after my wife Vanessa and I found out we were going to have a son, I had the same dreams as any other father: I could not wait to share my love of sports and my favorite teams with my child. I envisioned us watching games on TV together. I got excited at the thought of going to games with my son. How could I not think about all that?

  For me, University of Cincinnati basketball has definitely been a family tradition. It started with my grandfather, Robert Fopma, a longtime professor of mathematics and a vice provost who was at UC during the championship years in the 1960s. Both my parents, John and Cate, went to UC. My uncle went there. Even though I never attended school there, I was definitely raised on Cincinnati basketball. I remember going to games down at Riverfront Coliseum.

  So now, my son Camden is 18 months old, and I’ve got him cheering, “Go Bearcats.” He’s even got his Bearcat face—and he growls. He’s a fan already. That’s so much fun.

  He had a Bearcats onesie that he rocked for a while, and now he has a UC jersey he wears. He’s definitely into basketball. He’s all boy. He loves any type of ball and loves playing with his little toy basketball hoop at the house.

  When the Bearcats are on TV he recognizes the C-Paw. He knows it’s the Bearcats. He’s my little good luck charm.

  Being a big sports fan and having a son and being able to share moments together and pass those traditions down is something I am enjoying immensely. He’ll sit with me for as long as his attention allows. We love playing basketball together as much as an 18-month-old can play.

  He loves sports in general. We had his first birthday party at Great American Ball Park. It was obviously a baseball theme. He watches the Bengals games with me, too. He’s all in with Cincinnati sports.

  My love of the Bearcats has never been a secret. I get to as many games as I can, and I was a vocal supporter of former coach Bob Huggins. I even sat down in a hotel room in Stockholm, Sweden, in the middle of the night the day Huggins and UC parted ways and wrote what I call my “manifesto” that I sent to The Cincinnati Enquirer. I was upset. Because I am a fan, I was disappointed in the way it went down and I was concerned about the direction of the program.

  By the time the 2005-06 season started, I was cool with Andy Kennedy, who was the interim coach. I knew him from the Huggins era because he was an assistant coach on Huggs’ staff. I didn’t get to any games that season, but that was not intentional. In fact, I was going to be in New York and planned to attend the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden. But then Gerry McNamara of Syracuse hit that running game-winning 3-point shot with .3 seconds left that knocked UC out of the tournament. That was so disappointing.

  I also knew Mick Cronin from when he was an assistant under Huggs, and I always thought he would be a good candidate to come back to UC as head coach. As it turned out, that’s exactly what happened.

  It’s amazing what he has accomplished since returning in 2006.

  It’s to Mick’s credit that he has resurrected a program from the ashes—if you will. It took some time, but Cincinnati is again competitive every year and back to being a perennial top-25 team.

  Mick and I do talk and know each other somewhat. We’ve gotten to know each other better over the course of eight years since he’s been back. If we’re out somewhere and we get a chance to sit down and talk, I enjoy doing that.

  I think Mick’s loyalty to the city and to the university is pretty evident. I think he’s done a good job of repairing a program that was left in shambles after the Huggins fiasco. He deserves credit for hanging in there and putting in the hard work and getting the program back to a place where we can all be proud of it again.

  He’s done a great job of being competitive in the Big East and now the American Athletic Conference, competing against programs with a lot more resources to draw from than he does. I’d like to see that improve for him. Now that the program is facing another fork in the road, I hope Mick gets the support for the facilities and amenities that could help UC compete for the country’s upcoming top players.

  It’s not a just a job for Mick; it’s a passion.

  He grew up loving UC and loving the program, something I definitely can relate to. He deserves a great deal of appreciation for his support for the program, the university, and the community.

  I haven’t been to a game with my son yet, but that day is coming soon. It’s one of those moments you dream about. It’s going to be special for me.

  Hopefully he’ll enjoy it and we’ll attend many games together as he grows up. I hope we have the opportunity to see the quality players that form great UC teams. Even as I write this, I find it hard to contain my excitement and anticipation for those magical moments I will get to spend with my son. University of Cincinnati basketball is going to be a big part of that.

  Can’t wait.

  Nick Lachey

  Cincinnati native, singer, member 98 Degrees, host of television shows “Big Morning Buzz Live” on VH1 & “The Sing-Off” on NBC

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  These are not my memories. These stories come straight from approximately 85 University of Cincinnati basketball players, coaches, staff members and recruits, dating back to the 1940s and spanning 10 coaching eras.

  They generously gave their time on the phone and in person, a few even calling or Skyping from overseas. They “wrote” this history of the Bearcats basketball program. I appreciate all their patience and candor and
am grateful they shared their stories with all of us.

  My thanks to everyone who spoke with me for this book:

  Jim Ard, Ed Badger, Tay Baker, Lou Banks, Lloyd Batts, Corie Blount, Tony Bobbitt, Ron Bonham, Carl Bouldin, Corey Brinn, John Bryant, Anthony Buford, Darnell Burton, Vic Carstarphen, Steve Collier, Cheryl Cook, Mick Cronin, Pat Cummings, Dick Dallmer, Jamaal Davis, Connie Dierking, LaZelle Durden, Damon Flint, Tarrice Gibson, Danny Gilbert, Cedric Glover, Chris Goggin, Bob Goin, Keith Gregor, Eric Hicks, Paul Hogue, Jim Holstein, Dennis Hopson, Bob Huggins, June Huggins, Myron Hughes, DerMarr Johnson, Junior Johnson, Herb Jones, Doug Kecman, Andy Kennedy, Sean Kilpatrick, Armein Kirkland, Sandy Koufax, Bill Lammert, Melvin Levett, Chuck Machock, Danny Manning, Erik Martin, Kenyon Martin, Jason Maxiell, Roger McClendon, Derrick McMillan, Alex Meacham, Steve Moeller, Terry Nelson, Ray Penno, Dan Peters, Ralph Richter, Rick Roberson, Oscar Robertson, Levertis Robinson, Steve Sanders, Doug Schloemer, Hal Schneider, Larry Shingleton, Keith Starks, Lance Stephenson, Leonard Stokes, Andre Tate, Jermaine Tate, Tom Thacker, Mike Thomas, Luther Tiggs, Tony Trabert, Jack Twyman, Deonta Vaughn, Mike Waddell, Hal Ward, Phil Wheeler, Bob Wiesenhahn, George Wilson, Cashmere Wright, Raleigh Wynn, Tony Yates, and Gary Yoder.

  We are reminded of the value of this kind of anecdotal history by the losses of several UC greats since the book first was published in 2004: Cummings (1956-2012), Dierking (1936-2013), Hogue (1940-2009), Holstein (1930-2007), Twyman (1934-2012), and Wheeler (1934-2012).

  Thank you to Mike Pearson, from Sports Publishing L.L.C., who originally signed me up to write Tales from Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball in 2004; editors Joe Bannon Jr. (2004) and Julie Ganz (2014); former UC video coordinator Andy Assaley; Enquirer librarians Frank Harmon (2004) and Jeff Suess (2014); long-time Enquirer beat reporter and friend Bill Koch; guest editor Sadie Browning Johnson; University of Cincinnati photographer Lisa Ventre; and Andre Foushee (2014), Ryan Koslen (2014), Brian Teter (2004), and Tom Hathaway (2004) from UC’s sports information office.

  It’s important to recognize my brother Jack, a 1974 UC graduate, who took me to my first Bearcats basketball game in February 1974 (an 83-61 victory over George Washington in the Armory Fieldhouse), launching a 40-year association with the university.

  Of course, the most special thanks of all goes to my wife, Valerie, and children, Ben, Olivia, and Dan, who made the real sacrifices (twice) for this book to happen.

  Lastly, I am grateful to the many former players who joined me for book signings in 2004-05. I will never forget all the laughs with Terry Nelson, the incredible popularity of Melvin Levett, or the classiness of Jack Twyman, one of UC’s all-time greats on and off the court and a true gentleman.

  My favorite story, though, came from a book signing with Corie Blount and Steve Logan. A young boy with an unusual first name came through the line to get a copy of the book signed to him. A few minutes later, his mother was standing before us with the boy and a store manager explaining that they did not pay for the book or intend to buy it; the boy thought it was free. She apologized and handed it back.

  Without hesitation, Blount stood, reached into his pocket, pulled out cash, handed it to the store manager, and told the mother that the book was now a gift from him and that the boy should keep it. I don’t remember how many books were sold that day, but I sure remember Corie’s kindness.

  Michael Perry

  1

  THE HALL OF FAMERS

  Any book about the history of the University of Cincinnati basketball team should begin with Oscar Robertson. It was his wondrous talent that put the Bearcats on the national map and helped integrate the school’s basketball program.

  Considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, Robertson remains the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder despite playing just three years (freshmen were ineligible in 1956-57). His jersey No. 12 was retired after his senior season, and a nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Robertson was unveiled outside Shoemaker Center in 1994. Robertson set the standard for every player who would put on a Cincinnati uniform.

  He is one of four Hall of Famers to play in the UC basketball program—but (surprise!) only two are known for their basketball ability. That would be Robertson and Jack Twyman (there’s more on both in later chapters).

  OSCAR ROBERTSON

  “The eye-witness accounts could look exaggerated to those who never saw this phenomenon.”

  —Bob Collins, The Indianapolis Star, 1956

  “I really wanted to go to IU,” Oscar Robertson starts out. “I would’ve crawled to go to school down there.”

  That’s enough to give any true University of Cincinnati fan pause.

  Robertson was a star at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis. As the state’s top high school player, he was, of course, pursued by Indiana University and Purdue University, two Big Ten Conference schools.

  Robertson had no real interest in Purdue. But he longed to be in a Hoosiers’ uniform.

  He was unable to make college visits until late in the spring of 1956, his high school senior year. Robertson was also a track star at Crispus Attucks, and after the track season, he competed in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star basketball series, wearing No. 1 as Indiana’s Mr. Basketball.

  His coach, Ray Crowe, finally had a chance to take Robertson to Bloomington to meet Hoosiers coach Branch McCracken. When they arrived, they were told McCracken was busy.

  So they waited. And waited. And waited.

  At least a half hour passed.

  Finally McCracken came out of his office. Robertson and Crowe then followed him in and had a seat.

  Robertson recalls McCracken looking right at him. The first thing he said was, “I hope you’re not the type of kid who wants money to go to school.”

  What? Robertson thought. “I didn’t know what he was talking about; I didn’t know you could get money to go to school,” Robertson said.

  Oscar Robertson’s No. 12 is one of three retired University of Cincinnati men’s basketball jersey numbers. The others are No. 27 (Jack Twyman) and No. 4 (Kenyon Martin). (Photo by University of Cincinnati/Sports Information)

  Robertson immediately turned to Crowe and said he wanted to leave. They did just that.

  “That one statement is all that he said to me. I think he was insinuating that I was going to demand money to go to IU, which really was an insult to me,” Robertson said.

  “From that point on, I never said one word to Branch McCracken nor had any other conversations with him or about him. For some strange reason, Branch McCracken didn’t want Oscar Robertson.”

  George Smith did.

  Smith was a former Bearcats football player (1932-35) who became the University of Cincinnati’s head basketball coach in 1952.

  UC had a co-op program that appealed to Robertson. He thought that getting practical experience in a job while attending school would be valuable. He said he was eventually pulled out of the program (a co-op job at Cincinnati Gas & Electric) when the NCAA determined it gave UC an unfair recruiting advantage.

  But, as Robertson recalls, a major reason he thought Cincinnati would be a good place for him was his perception of its African-American community.

  He and friends would occasionally travel to Cincinnati and Crosley Field when Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers were in town to face the Reds. Robinson, of course, was the first African-American to play in the major leagues.

  “For some strange reason, I used to see all the blacks in one section in the stands. I said, ‘Wow, there are a lot of African-American people there. It’d be a great place to come,’” Robertson said.

  “I didn’t know the university had no blacks whatsoever. I was totally shocked. I went to class, I didn’t see anyone black in my class. I didn’t see anyone black, period. The only blacks I saw were four guys I entered school with who played football and (another student) who was in a couple of my classes in business school.”

  Robertson didn’t take long to confront Smith.
/>   “Coach, there aren’t any black people here,” Robertson said.

  “I know,” Smith replied.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?” Robertson asked.

  The answer was obvious. Smith didn’t want to give Robertson any reasons not to attend UC.

  Robertson was only the fifth African-American UC basketball player (Chester Smith was the first in 1932). Of course, none before him attracted the same kind of attention locally and nationally.

  JACK TWYMAN

  Jack Twyman was cut from the Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School basketball team three consecutive years.

  But as a senior in 1950-51, he not only made the Central Catholic team, he was a star. At the time, most players in the Pittsburgh area wanted to go to Duquesne University, which had gone 23-6 and advanced to the prestigious National Invitation Tournament in 1950. The Dukes were in the midst of 16 consecutive winning seasons.

  Duquesne recruited four top Pennsylvania products: Twyman, Maurice Stokes (Westinghouse High School), Ed Fleming (Westinghouse High School), and Dick Ricketts (Pottstown High School), all of whom visited Duquesne during spring break of their senior years. During the trip, they scrimmaged the Dukes—and won.

  “Everybody was excited about all of us going to Duquesne,” Twyman said.

  Only Stokes decided to go to St. Francis College, and Fleming chose Niagara University.

  Twyman was a Duquesne guy, though. He had signed up for classes and had his fall schedule planned.

  Jack Twyman wasn’t just a Hall of Fame player; he was a Hall of Fame-caliber person. Cincinnati Royals teammate Maurice Stokes suffered a head injury in the final regular-season game in 1957-58. He went into a coma and was paralyzed for life. Twyman became his legal guardian and helped raise money for Stokes’s medical bills. The story of their relationship was the subject of a movie, Maurie. (Photo by University of Cincinnati/Sports Information)

  Near the end of July, an assistant basketball coach from Central Catholic asked a favor of Twyman. Nick Skorich played football at the University of Cincinnati in the early 1940s and was friends with former UC football player George Smith, then an assistant coach with the Bearcats basketball team.